Stephen Grellet? Eva Rose York? A. B. Hegeman? William Penn? John Wesley? John Townsend? Eliza M. Hickok? Henry Drummond? Quakers’ Motto? Anonymous?
Question for Quote Investigator: Our time on Earth is remarkably brief. We should not hesitate to express compassion and empathy toward others. This notion has been expressed as follows:
I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing that I can do to any fellow human being, let me do it now.
This quotation has been attributed to two prominent members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers): French missionary Stephen Grellet and English writer William Penn. It has also been credited to English cleric John Wesley, Mrs. A. B. Hegeman, John Townsend, and others. Would you please explore this topic?
Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in “The Independent” of Oskaloosa, Kansas on October 31, 1868. The creator of the saying was only referred to as an anonymous “wise man”. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:1
WORTH REMEMBERING.—The following soliloquy of a wise man is applicable to and should be put into practice by every mother’s son and daughter of the race: “I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing that I can do, to any fellow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it; for I will not pass this way again.”
The second earliest match located by QI appeared in the religious periodical “Friends’ Intelligencer” on November 14, 1868. The text was nearly identical. The word “nor” was changed to “or”. The creator was unnamed:2
I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing that I can do to any fellow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I will not pass this way again.
During subsequent months the saying appeared in numerous periodicals, but the creator remained anonymous. In 1877 the saying was credited to influential Quaker William Penn, but Penn died in the eighteenth century; hence, this linkage provided very weak evidence. Several other attributions appeared in later years, but QI has not yet found a substantive linkage.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
On December 4, 1868 the “Boston Daily Evening Transcript” of Massachusetts printed the following with an attribution to an unnamed “worthy Quaker”:3
A worthy Quaker thus wrote: “I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing that I can do to any follow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I will not pass this way again.”
In January 1869 “The True Latter-Day Saints’ Herald” printed the same text as the “Boston Daily Evening Transcript”.4
Also, in January 1869 “The Coshocton Age” printed the same text as the “Boston Daily Evening Transcript”.5
In June 1869 an Atlanta, Georgia periodical called “Scott’s Monthly Magazine” printed the saying with a slightly different preface:6
A GOOD old Quaker, in a facetious, but Christian way, wrote: “I expect to pass through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do any fellow human being let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I will not pass this way again.”
The 1870 edition of “Ayer’s American Almanac” of Lowell, Massachusetts printed a condensed version of the expression:7
Let us show kindness, and do good to our fellows while in this world; for we shall not pass this way again.
In 1877 quotation collector Tryon Edwards published “Light For the Day; Or, Heavenly Thoughts for Earthly Guidance”. Edwards implausibly attributed the saying to William Penn, a famous Quaker who had died in 1718. This instance used “shall” instead of “will”:8
I expect to go through this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow-being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.—Wm. Penn.
In 1880 “The Youth’s Companion” noted that the saying had been recorded in the family Bible of a woman who had died in a recent disaster:9
The record which was found in the family Bible of Mrs. Hegeman, of New York, one of the victims of the Madison Square Garden disaster, deserves printing in every man’s pocket-book:
I expect to pass through this life but once. If there is any kindness to show or any good thing I can do to my fellow beings, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it. I will pass this way but once.
Hegeman later received credit for the saying, but there is no evidence that she authored it. Instead, she or another family member simply copied it into their family Bible.
In 1884 “The Indianapolis Journal” published an instance ascribed to prominent French Quaker Stephen Grellet:10
I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness I can show, to any fellow human being let me do it. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.—Stephen Grellet.
Researchers have been unable to find the saying in the writings of Grellet who died in 1855 which was more than a dozen years before the earliest appearance of the saying. Hence, the support for this ascription is currently quite weak.
In 1885 “Friends’ Intelligencer” of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania published a four verse poem by Eliza M. Hickok titled “We Shall Not Pass This Way Again”. The thematically germane poem contained the following as the fourth verse:11
The years glide by: stand strong and true!
The good thou canst, oh, quickly do!
Let gentle words sooth woe and pain,
We shall not pass this way again.
In June 1886 the New York periodical “Demorest’s Monthly Magazine” attributed the saying to John Townsend:12
“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, any kindness I can show, let me do it now. I shall not pass this way again.”—John Townsend.
In November 1886 the Buffalo, New York periodical “Queries” printed an inquiry about Mrs. Hegeman:13
No 83.—Who was Mrs. A. B. Hegeman, American authoress who wrote—“I expect to pass through this world but once, any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”
In March 1890 “The Christian Union” of New York printed a note from a correspondent identified only by the initial P. who suggested that the saying had been inscribed as the epitaph on the tomb of Edward Courtenay in England.14 This claim facilitated later misattributions which incorrectly credited Courtenay:
In answer to the inquiry of F.L.P. in last week’s paper, I find in a note-book of my father’s, in which he began sixty years ago to copy beautiful thoughts and extracts, the following “Epitaph on the tomb of Edward Courtenay, the Earl of Devonshire:”
“I expect to pass through this world but once; if, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do, to any fellow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Let this be my epitaph:
What I spent I had;
What I saved I left behind;
What I gave away I took with me.” P.
In September 1890 “The Ladies’ Home Journal” printed lines from a poem which matched the sentiment expressed by the quotation under examination. The name of the poet was not specified in the magazine, but the 1900 citation presented further below stated that the poet was Canadian Eva Rose York:15
This reminds me of a beautiful poem I have just read, in which are these lines:—
“And let no chance by me be lost
To kindness show, at any cost,
I shall not pass this way again;
Then let me now relieve some pain,Remove some barrier from the road,
Or lighten some one’s heavy load;
A helping hand to this one lend,
Then turn, some other to befriend.”
In 1891 the quotation appeared in “A Dictionary of Thoughts: Being a Cyclopedia of Laconic Quotations” compiled by Tryon Edwards. Credit was assigned to William Penn.16
In 1895 “The American Friend” of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reprinted an exploration of the origin of the saying. The periodical stated that the ascription to Henry Drummond was incorrect and suggested that the ascription to Stephen Grellet was correct:17
THE following paragraph is clipped from the Presbyterian:
“The following paragraph is often quoted: ‘I expect to pass through the world but once. Any good thing therefore that I can do for my fellow human being let me do it now. Let me not defer it nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.’
The question has arisen, who was the author of these words, and various answers have been given. They have been attributed to Henry Drummond, who uses it in his little book, ‘The Greatest Thing in the World.’ But they appear there as a quotation, and not as original with Drummond. One who writes as one acquainted with the facts says that the words are from Stephen Grellet, a Frenchman, who became a Quaker about the beginning of the present century, was for many years a public Friend, and died in Burlington, N.J., in the year 1855. His life was in close accordance with his expressed sentiments.”
One week later “The American Friend” printed a correction based on a note from a correspondent. The editors changed the ascription of the quotation from Stephen Grellet to English cleric John Wesley who died in 1791:18
Last week we inserted a note from the Presbyterian in which Stephen Grellet was named as the author of the saying, “I expect to pass through the world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do for my fellow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it, nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” We have received a note from R. Grellet, Medford, New Jersey, in which John Wesley is given as the author.
In 1900 the book “A Treasury of Canadian Verse” included the poem from “The Ladies’ Home Journal” which was mentioned previously. The poem’s author was identified as Eva Rose York.19
In August 1900 “The National Advocate” of New York printed the quotation with an attribution to Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devonshire.20
In 1907 the quotation was explored within the reference work “A Book of Quotations, Proverbs and Household Words” compiled by W. Gurney Benham. Numerous candidates for authorship were named:21
Every effort to identify the author of this much-quoted saying has failed. It has been attributed to Stephen Grellet, an American quaker of French birth (b. 1773, d. 1855); R. W. Emerson ; Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon (this being, however, a mistake, due to a partial resemblance of the Earl’s epitaph . . .); Sir Rowland Hill (1744-1833); Marcus Aurelius; Miss A. B. Hageman, Addison, Thos. Carlyle, and others ; and it is also said that the germ of it is to be found in the writings of a Chinese philosopher.
There seems to be some authority in favour of Stephen Grellet being the author, but the passage does not occur in any of his printed works.
In 1977 “Peter’s Quotations: Ideas for Our Time” printed a version using the phrase “pass through life” instead of “pass through this world”. Penn received credit:22
I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.—William Penn (1644-1718)
In conclusion, this quotation appeared in a Kansas newspaper in October 1868, and the creator was described as an anonymous “wise man”. In November 1868 the saying appeared without attribution in a Quaker periodical called “Friends’ Intelligencer”. In December 1868 the words were credited to a “worthy Quaker”. None of the earliest citations provided a specific ascription. Hence, based on current evidence the originator remains anonymous.
The first attribution occurred in 1877 within a book by quotation collector Tryon Edwards who credited William Penn. Edwards did not provide a citation, and Penn died during the previous century in 1718. Thus, this evidence was not substantive.
Image Notes: Illustration of red, pink, and white candy hearts from Jacqueline Brandwayn of Unsplash.
Acknowledgement: Great thanks to the anonymous person whose inquiry led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration.
- 1868 October 31, The Independent, Worth Remembering, Quote Page 1, Column 4, Oskaloosa, Kansas. (Newspapers_com) ↩︎
- 1868 November 14 (Eleventh Month), Friends’ Intelligencer, Volume 25, Number 37, (Untitled filler item), Quote Page 582, Column 1, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1868 December 4, Boston Daily Evening Transcript, Brief Jottings, Quote Page 2, Column 2, Boston, Massachusetts. (Newspapers_com) ↩︎
- 1869 January 1, The True Latter-Day Saints’ Herald, Volume 15, Number 1, (Untitled filler item), Quote Page 27, Column 2, Published by The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Herald Steam Book and Job Office, Plano, Illinois. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1869 January 15, The Coshocton Age, (Untitled filler item), Quote Page 2, Column 2, Coshocton, Ohio. (Newspapers_com) ↩︎
- 1869 June, Scott’s Monthly Magazine, Volume 7, Number 6, Salmagundi, Start Page 473, Quote Page 475, Column 2, Phillips & Crew, Atlanta, Georgia. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1870, Ayer’s American Almanac, Month: December 1870, Unnumbered Page, Column 1, Published by Dr. J. C. Ayer & Company, Lowell, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1877, Light For the Day; Or, Heavenly Thoughts for Earthly Guidance: A Daily Monitor by Tryon Edwards, Date: January 15, Quote Page 22, Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1880 July 22, The Youth’s Companion, Volume 53, Number 30, A Good Resolution, Quote Page 252, Column 2, Perry Mason & Company, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1884 April 5, The Indianapolis Journal, Religious Notes, Quote Page 12, Column 1, Indianapolis, Indiana. (Newspapers_com) ↩︎
- 1885 September 12, (Ninth Month), Friends’ Intelligencer, We Shall Not Pass This Way Again by Eliza M. Hickok, Quote Page 481, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1886 June, Demorest’s Monthly Magazine, Volume 22, Number 8, Diamonds of Thought, Quote Page 558, Column 2, William Jennings Demorest, New York. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1886 November, Queries, Volume 2, Number 11, Open Congress, Quote Page 285, Column 2, C. L. Sherrill & Company, Buffalo, New York. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1890 March 13, The Christian Union, Section: Inquiring Friends, Quote Page 375, Column 3, The Christian Union, New York. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1890 September, The Ladies’ Home Journal, Volume 7, Number 10, Effect of Pleasant Smiles and Kind Words, Quote Page 12, Column 2, Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1891 Copyright, A Dictionary of Thoughts: Being a Cyclopedia of Laconic Quotations, Compiled by Tryon Edwards, Topic: Kindness, Quote Page 277, Cassell Publishing Company, New York. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1895 October 24 (Tenth Month), The American Friend, Volume 2, Number 43, Society Notes, Start Page 1029, Quote Page 1030, Column 1, The American Friend, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.(Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1895 October 31 (Tenth Month), The American Friend, Volume 2, Number 44, Correction, Quote Page 1061, Column 2, The American Friend, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1900, A Treasury of Canadian Verse: With Brief Biographical Notes, Selected and edited by Theodore H. Rand, Poem: I Shall Not Pass This Way Again by Eva Rose York, Start Page 382, Quote Page 383, E. P. Dutton & Company, New York. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1900 August, The National Advocate, Volume 35, Number 8, Our Juniors, Quote Page 116, Column 2, National Temperance Society and Publication House, New York. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1907, A Book of Quotations, Proverbs and Household Words, Compiled by W. Gurney Benham, Section: Miscellaneous Quotation — Waifs and Strays, Quote Page 448, J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1977, Peter’s Quotations: Ideas for Our Time, Compiled by Laurence J. Peter, Section: Kindness, Quote Page 279, William Morrow and Company, New York. (Verified on with hardcopy) ↩︎